Plant of the Month February 2011: Muscari  -  Grape Hyacinth

Muscari armeniacum is the common garden grape hyacinth. The term muscari comes from the latin muscus since the scent is said to resemble musk! It is a small bulb, flowering in very early Spring preferring a well drained light soil which is not too acid, and full sun or partial shade. Muscari is a very flexible plant that can naturalise in woodland and meadow, or be cultivated in the lawn, border, rock garden and container. Varieties include ‘Alba’, 'Cote d'AZur', 'Peppermint', 'Fantasy Creation', and 'Saffier'. Muscari aucheri is a deep blue at the base and bright blue at the tip.  Cultivars include ‘Blue Magic, ‘White Wonder’,’ Mount Hood’ and ‘Dark Eyes’. Muscari azureum has beautiful sky blue flowers and grows just 6’’ high. They multiply quickly and are an early source of nectar for the bees!

Gilly Boyd, Aeron Acers

Plant of the Month February 2011: Helleborus x hybridus

Formerly known as Helleborus orientalis and recently renamed! These wonderful early flowering harbingers of Spring excel in the February garden. Coming in all shades they hold their heads downwards but flower and survive frost and snow! Several are double flowered, others spotted of dark coloured, some white, pink, red, burgundy and almost black. Seedlings appear around the plant and will flower in a couple of years adding excitment to the spring garden. Easy and pest resistant.

Buy at www.penlanperennials.co.uk

Plant of the Month January 2011: Narcissus cyclamineus 'Tete-a-Tete'

Although they do not flower in the garden until the end of February, pot grown Narcissus cyclamineus 'Tete-a-Tete' are at their best throughout the month. These "mini daffs" really are the first wave of spring cheer, a message that there is hope of warmer weather to come. They are remarkably tough and reliable, coping easily with our recent could winters with each bulb producing several neat golden trumpets. They will grow almost anywhere in the garden (except the most boggy areas) and are really petite, only reaching a height of 23cm. They bulk up quite quickly and can be lifted and divided within 3 years. A pot on your windowsill brings spring into the house and can then be planted out into the garden to bring you early season colour for many years to come.

Helen Warrington, Ty Cwm Nursery

Christmas is not Christmas without a Nordmann Christmas Tree. This is now the most popular of all trees to have for the festive season. The Nordmann Fir has long, glossy, non-drop needles on tiered branches.  It has soft needles making it the ideal tree for families with young children. No sharp needles in the carpet for months after Christmas.

This tree is native to the mountains south and east of the Black Sea where it grows at altitudes of 900-2000m, on mountains with rainfall of over 1000mm.

It is a large evergreen coniferous tree but is very slow growing, only managing to grow about 20cm/8in a year making it an ideal statement plant for a large garden.

Pot grown trees are available from Country Lane Nurseries, Plwmp. We also sell cut trees at the nursery during December, together with handmade Christmas wreaths.

Plant of the Month November 2010: Welsh Apple Trees.

According to Common Ground, you can bake an apple pie a day for 16 years and not use the same variety twice.  Some of these pies could be made using Welsh Apples and an increasing number of new orchards are planted using heritage Welsh Apples – and November is an ideal time to plant them.

There are three broad types of apples cookers, eaters and cider.  Gwynfor Growers stocks Welsh examples of all three types.

Cooking apples are a peculiarly British invention – no other country has really developed apples specifically for cooking.  Welsh cooking apples include Pig y Colomen, Jo Jo’s Delite and Trwyn Mochyn.  These apples typically keep their shape when cooked or fluff up like a baked-apple rather than go to a puree like a Bramley.

There are some excellent Welsh eating apples notably the world famous Bardsey Island apple, the Cox Cymraeg, Cissy (or Monmouth Beauty) and the Nant Gwrtheyrn golden russet. 

Some apples have more than one use and this is the case for the St Dogmaels apple, Pig Aderyn, which besides being an excellent eater also makes a fine cider.

You do not need much space to grow apples. One way is as cordons where you can grow three or four varieties along a fence or wall in as little as 4m of space. If you are thinking of planting an apple tree do consider one of the Welsh varieties and do get expert advice – “I wish we’d come to you first” is quite often heard here at Gwynfor Growers!

For more details see our website, where you can also buy apple trees online: Gwynfor Growers Website

One of the best late flowering Hardy Geraniums, 'Rozanne' will flower until the first frosts. Mounds of marble green foliage emerge in late spring followed by intense blue flowers, which have a clear white eye. The foliage is low growing and makes good ground cover, whilst the large flowers are freely produced. Another cultivar called Geranium 'Jolly Bee' is identical as recently shown by examination of its DNA.

The flowers are produced from late June until November making it a worthwhile plant to extend the season. Excellent for under planting or as part of a mixed border. It can reach 45cm/18" in height and will spread to 90/36".

You can purchase Geranium 'Rozanne' online from Penlan Perennials: Penlan Perennials Website  

Schizostylis coccinea is a bulb with dainty but exotic looking red flowers on slim stems that flower in late summer, some up until December in milder areas! Grow in any mixed herbaceous border or prairie garden to give that lift to the end of summer! They prefer a sheltered, sunny site with plenty of organic matter added to the soil before planting and need a good mulch in winter to protect against deep penetrating frosts. To propagate, lift and divide the bulbs in mid to late spring every 2-3 years or save the seed and sow in April.  Growing to around 3ft tall they combine well with grasses such as Carex muskingumensis and Miscanthus as well as perennials such as Crocosmia ‘Honey Angels’, Verbena syphilitica, Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ and most Rudbeckias. There are many hybrids worth mentioning :- Schizostylis ‘Major’ (pictured) has large red flowers, ‘Mrs Hegarty’ has light pink flowers, ‘Fenland Daybreak’ is coral pink,  ‘Pink Princess’ has white flowers with a pink tint (especially when in bud) and ‘Alba’ is pure white. Thank you to Aeron Acers for selecting this month's plant.

Inula may be annuals, herbaceous perennials or sub-shrubs, mostly with large basal leaves and daisy-like yellow flower-heads, often with narrow ray-florets.

Often known as elecampane, Inula magnifica makes a very large, imposing plant. The lower leaves can be almost 90cm (3ft) long and make a feature on their own before the plant comes into flower. Then, in late summer, the plant is topped with masses of large, bright, golden spidery flowers each 15cm (6in) across. Plant it as a specimen behind a pond where both foliage and flowers can be seen, or grow behind much shorter plants towards the back of a border.

Cae Hir Gardens some fine examples of this plant.

July 2010: Plant of the Month:  Stokesia laevis (Stoke’s Aster)


For those people that have come across Stokesia before it soon becomes a must-have plant. The large exquisitely structured cornflower-like blooms appear in late June or early July and continue throughout the summer months.

Although it is drought tolerant, we find that Stokesia prefers slightly acidic, moist soils. For the best flowers, which make long lasting cut flowers in demand by flower arrangers, plant in full sun.  Stokesia reaches about 40cm high with a 30cm spread.  Propagation is usually by division. This plant is evergreen, fully hardy and easy to grow. 



Stokesia is named after Dr Jonathan Stokes (1755-1831), a physician and botanist. The Linnean Society of London elected him as one of the 16 inaugural associates and he was one of the first people to use digitalis to treat heart problems.

The seeds of Stokesia are very high in epoxy oils used to make varnishes and adhesives, including “super glues”.

Gwynfor Growers stocks the deep purple flowered ‘Purple Parasols’ and the unusual creamy yellow ‘Mary Gregory’ forms of this intriguing plant.


June 2010: Plant of the Month: Geranium nodosum

Geranium nodosum has bright, shiny green, three lobed leaves and pretty purple/blue flowers. This very tolerant plant will grow in dry and moist shade and full sun!  Flowers in June and July and sporadically until the autumn.  A good ground cover plant which gives autumn leaf colour and seeds readily. There are darker and lighter forms, notably Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac' and Geranium nodosum 'Swish Purple'. Easy to grow and slug and snail resistant Height 30cms x Spread 50cms.  Gilly Boyd has this for sale at Aeron Acers and Penlan Perennials sell some of the named hybrids on their website.




May 2010: Plant of the Month: Tiarella 'Pink Brushes'

Tiarella is an excellent woodland or shade plant, with spikes of white (or in this case) pink flowers held well clear of the foliage, which is mottled with dark brown and usually evergreen except in the harshest winters. The flowers are delicately scented and the plant is tolerant of dry shade once established. Makes good ground cover, seeds freely and is easy to grow.

Cut back the old foliage in spring. deadhead and you can keep flowering going well into midsummer.

You can buy this plant from Penlan Perennials by Mail Order, and a few other Tiarella too.


April 2010: Plant of the Month: Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare'


Pulmonaria (Lungwort), gets its name from a quaint medieval method of allocating medicinal properties to plants based on their appearance.  According to the Doctrine of Signatures, the large, spotty leaves were ‘sent’ to tell us to use the plant for curing lung disease. They are especially good as spring flowering  ground cover, and their silvery white, spotted foliage sets off the short clusters of pink, white or blue flowers very elegantly.  They form clumps 12’’x12’’ which spread to make low undulating carpets that look good under roses or towards the front of mixed or cottage-style borders.  They prefer reasonable soil in light shade. There are many cultivars but ‘Diane Clare’ has long silvered sword shaped leaves, neat all year, and large purple blue flowers. 
Gwynfor Growers can supply this one for you and a few others too!





March 2010: Plant of the Month: Leucojum vernum

The Spring Snowflake or Loddon Lily is much larger than its relation the snowdrop, the flowers are held on long stems that droop gracefully. Whereas snowdrops have three main petals and three more tiny inner ones, the six petals of this snowflake are all the same length, with conspicuous markings at their tips. It is an easy-to-grow plant that multiplies freely in most gardens provided the soil is moist enough. Plants have been known to withstand flooding and standing water, and it is an ideal choice for bog gardens and pond-side plantings. Native, hardy and now is the time to buy!
You can buy this plant online from Penlan Perennials



February 2010: Plant of the Month: Iris reticulata 'Purple Gem'

What could be more cheerful on a dull cold February day than the sight of this exquisite dwarf iris. An excellent subject for rock gardens and containers. They can also be planted in grass which is short enough at this time of year for them to be seen. As they flower so early in the season they beat the slugs out of bed! And therefore avoid damage. They prefer a well drained sight but will still come up for several years in your average local lawn. Growing to a height of 10cm and spread of 5cm in a deep, velvety purple, they certainly add a little sparkle to February.



You can purchase Iris reticulata 'Purple Gem' fromTy Cwm Nursery. Contact Helen Warrington on
01570 480655.









January 2010: Plant of the Month: Galanthus elwesii

If you are looking for a snowdrop that has that extra impact, then Galanthus elwesii is worth looking out for. It is a giant-flowered snowdrop with honey-scented blooms, which have two delicate green marks on the petals. This Turkish snowdrop, named after the naturalist Henry Elwes, who introduced it into cultivation in 1874, bears slender, honey-scented white flowers and is very early into flower, often before Christmas and into early spring. The glaucous green leaves are quite broad and the bulb is easy and pest resistant.

You can buy this snowdrop (and several others) from Penlan Perennials. www.penlanperennials.co.uk




Richard Cain, Penlan Perennials, 07857 675312


December 2009: Plant of the Month: Lonicera fragrantissima (Winter-flowering honeysuckle)

When Gwynfor Growers got the November and December “Plant of the Month” slots the difficulty was deciding which of the many plants at their best at this time of the year to feature!

To brighten and fragrance the winter garden we have chosen the semi-evergreen shrub Lonicera fragrantissima.  This winter-flowering member of the honeysuckle family  is very easy to grow being happy in a wide range of soils from light and chalky through to Ceredigion’s very heavy silty loams.  Lonicera fragrantissima will tolerate any aspect from full sun to quite deep shade. Our stock plant is on the north side of the house under the shade of a large beech tree and has flowers from December to February, in full sun it will produce many more flowers.  Some garden designers combine plantings of Lonicera fragrantissima with specimen hellebores or dark-leaved bergenias to provide impact in the winter garden.

The scent is similar to the climbing honeysuckle but with vanilla-like notes and we often incorporate sprigs of Lonicera fragrantissima flowers into our Christmas foliage bunches as the scent becomes stronger in the warmth of a room.

The pruning regime varies from none through to training as standards!  This shrub responds well to clipping and can make an intriguing and informal hedge.




To purchase Lonicera fragrantissima please call Gwynfor Growers on 01239 654151 or visit their website.

November 2009: Plant of the Month: IRIS foetidissima var. citrina

The UK has only two native Irises, the common yellow flag iris - Iris pseudacorus and the less well-known gladdon - Iris foetidissima. In this article we feature the uncommon yellow form Iris foetidissima var. citrina.

This is one of those plants that really shows why we do not use common names in horticulture as it has dozens of local names such as Gladwyn, Adder’s Meat, Roast Beef Plant, Stinking Iris, Seggin and Gladdon. 

The delicate, understated flowers appear in summer and are beautifully patterned - so why is this the plant of the month for November? Well, it is at this time of the year that the large seed pods start to split open revealing the bright orange seeds within.  These pods, and the evergreen foliage, are what make Iris foetidissima var. citrina such a useful addition to the winter garden.

Ideally, this plant prefers soils rich in organic matter and the sunnier the position the more flowers, and therefore seedpods, it will produce. However, the most endearing character of this iris is its ability to grow just about anywhere, so if you do have a difficult area then this is the plant to try. Plant care is easy, do not deadhead and simply tidy up in the spring!  Propagation is by division or from seeds, which may produce interesting variations such as white flowers with pearl-like seeds.

Gwynfor Growers is the only RHS Plant Finder listed nursery in Wales supplying this fine plant.  To purchase it please call 01239 654151 or purchase online from Gwynfor Growers' website

















October 2009: Plant of the Month: ACER palmatum ‘Momiji ’ (Japanese Maple)

Autumn is upon us and the Japanese Maple stands out in all its glory giving our gardens a blaze of welcome colour.  It is one of the most beautiful trees in the fall and brings one last firework display before Winter takes over.

Acer palmatum originated in Japan, (Honshu and Shikoku Islands), Eastern China, Taiwan and Korea and was introduced to us in 1820.  There are now over 250 cultivars available but the Acer palmatum grown from seed has the tendency to produce great variations within the species and the diversity of colour, shape, leaf pattern and size can therefore fit perfectly with many other plants in the garden.

Leaves are 5- or seven-lobed, palmate (2-4ins) long, always colourful, glabrous on both sides.  Lobes are ovate and lanceolate, deeply divided to two-thirds the length, and margins are doubly toothed.  The colour varies with the season, opening red/bronze, turning green in summer (young shoots are lighter and have orange-red margins, and in the fall, all hues from purple-red to orange to yellow may appear.

In cultivation the maple will reach 15 to 20 ft, some though much smaller.  They need semi shade to keep their leaves looking fresh and a certain degree of shelter from strong winds as they are in essence an under storey tree in their natural habitat and grow next to and underneath each other.  Importantly they require even quantities of water in summer to maintain their broad canopies but much less in winter.  Having a compact fibrous root ball increases the tendency for root rot in waterlogged ground so adding grit or planting on a slope can remedy this in wet soils.   Growing in a pot is just as successful as long as the compost is not allowed to dry out in summer and if the right spot is not found then it can easily be moved around.  Acers in the ground do not need feeding although they benefit from a good mulch and ones in pots a weak feed once a year. 


Gilly Boyd, Aeron Acers

You can buy a selection of Acer palmatum from Gilly at Aeron Acers. Tel: 01570 470557

September 2009: Plant of the Month: HEMEROCALLIS fulva 'Green Kwanso'

Hemerocallis comes from the Greek hemera (a day) and kallos (beauty) and aptly describes the individual flowers of this species which bloom for just a single day. To make up for this brevity there are many flower buds on each daylily stalk and several flowering stems on each plant so the flowering period of each individual plant is usually several weeks long. Many species and cultivars have more than one flowering period and often flower at different times so you can have some of these wonderful flowers in your garden from May to late September.

Native to countries in the temperate parts of Asia, Japan, Siberia, Korea, and China, they were first introduced to Europe via overland trading routes and the sea ports of Venice and Lisbon 500 years ago. In China, Korea and Japan daylilies were historically found on food stalls. The flower buds are normally cooked, though they can also be eaten raw and have a taste similar to that of green beans.

Daylilies, along with peonies and lilacs, were one of the few ornamental plants taken to America by early Dutch and German settlers and used in their gardens. The daylily (or ditchlily as they are sometimes called in America) is often referred to as the perfect perennial because they are able to survive with very little care in a wide range of climates and are suitable for all types of landscapes. They succeed in most soils, from fairly light and dry to heavy clays although they are happiest in a soil that is rich and moist, particularly during summer. They grow better and flower more freely when in a sunny position, although they will also tolerate shade. Whilst less flowers are produced on plants in the shade, each flower tends to be longer-lived. Plants prefer a neutral to slightly acid soil and do not perform well on very acid or alkaline soils. Daylilies are generally free from pests and diseases, except in mild springs when slugs and snails damage the fresh new growth.

Fortunately most daylilies are quite vigorous and generally grow away from early damage. Plants most at risk are those that are freshly divided, or small young plants that have just been planted out. Hybridizers in the United States and Britain have used the twenty or so species to made great improvements and today there are several thousand hybrids to choose from, a number of which are fragrant. The only colours yet to be achieved are a pure white and pure blue. Hemerocallis fulva 'Green Kwanso' is a bold plant flowering into late September and will reach 60x60cm (2ftx2ft) when mature.

Richard Cain ~ Penlan Perennials

You can buy Hemerocallis fulva 'Green Kwanso from Penlan Perennials Nursery

www.penlanperennials.co.uk

















August 2009: Plant of the Month: ANEMANTHELE lessoniana

This very beautiful evergreen grass forms large circular clumps of shiny green leaves. Through the summer they develop a rich orange, copper and red colour.  The flower heads begin to open in late July and by August burst into airy panicles carried by overhanging stems that almost touch the ground.  The whole plant becomes a frothy mass of pink/purple spikelets which look very attractive after rain.  During the winter it remains green and the seed heads provide a food source for finches and other seed eating birds.

It grows to a height of 2’ and spreads to 3’, enjoys a sunny position, and will grow in any reasonable soil.  In spring tease out dead foliage and divide April-June. There are a couple of varieties with particularly attractive leaf colouration, ‘ Autumn Tints’ which has reddish-brown hues, and ‘Golden Hue’,  pale green to yellow leaves.

Anemanthele lessoniana can be used as an accent plant in the border or in a pot and looks especially good amongst bright red and yellow coloured perennials, eg. Rudbeckias, Heleniums, Heliopsis, Helianthus, Crocosmia, Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and  Dahlia ‘David Howard’, and Schizostylus.  Other grasses that compliment include Carex ‘Frosted Curls’, Carex comans ‘Chocolate’, Carex Elata ‘Aurea’, and Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’. 

Using grasses in our gardens can give them subtlety and elegance and bring a touch of the wild into our borders!  Interspersed with colourful perennials and other grasses we can create an informal look which is both exciting and natural.

An excellent sturdy plant  for the herbaceous border. It producers large rich golden –yellow, daisy-like flowers with a black prominent cone. It is very easy to grow in most types of soil in well drained soil, preferring full sun. The flower stems are very sturdy reaching 80cm (30in) and don’t need any staking. Another plus for this plant is its prolific long flowering period, not many perennials boast of flowering from July through till the autumn. An invaluable addition to the late summer border especially when planted in bold drifts

Theresa Glover, Country Lane Nurseries:

You can buy RUDBECKIA fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ from Theresa at Country Lane Nurseries. Telephone 01239 851015

June 2009: Plant of the Month:  SAMBUCUS 'Black Lace'

June is the month when Sambucus 'Black Lace is at its most spectacular. The deeply divided rich black foliage plays backdrop to large plates of deep pink and frothy cream flowers. 'Black Lace' is very hardy and well suited to our conditions here in Ceredigion. It will grow in full sun or partial shade (deep shade causes the leaves to lose their dark colour), in any good, well drained garden soil.

The only maintenance needed is to prune growth back to 30-45cm (12-18ins) or 2-3 buds from the base during the winter. This helps to promote fresh dark growth and keeps a tidy shape. It will romp away to 2m (6ft) each season, rewarding you even more with the odd feed.

Helen Warrington, Ty Cwm Nursery:

You can buy Sambucus 'Black Lace' from Helen at Ty Cwm Nursery. Telephone 01570 480655